Appointment with God

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 (NIV)

It is important for all of us to set time for devotions. Select a specific time and this has to do with when we should have our quiet time and how long this should be. Let us give God the best part of our day, when we are still fresh and alert. We should not serve God with leftover time. Of course my best time may be different from yours.

Lieut. Colonel Duck-Chong a good friend of ours, used to tithe his time and spent hours interceding for his many friends in Australia and all over the world. This wonderful saint of God went to the Lord many years ago.

Whatever time we set aside for prayer,let us be consistent in practice. We need to discipline ourselves to keep the appointment with God.

“How much time should I spend with the Lord?” If you’ve never had a consistent quiet time before, you may want to start with a short period, say ten minutes. Then let it grow naturally. You may need to split into two or three different times. The important thing to remember is quality time with God, and not necessarily quantity time. Those who have to travel have to make the necessary adjustments.

Discipline is very important. We wake up at 5.30 a.m., then at 6.00 a.m. go for our walk and have our breakfast at about 7.00 a.m. Then I go to the balcony and have my quiet time while my wife does the washing up and have hers after that.

We go to sleep early. We normally do not accept evening appointments except in very special circumstances, like attending a wake of a relative or close friend. For one thing I don't own a car and certainly do not like driving at night.

Both of us always end the day with prayer together. It is important for married couples to have prayers together. And when you have a family, make sure you hold family prayers. My wife always sleeps before I do. I always watch the 9.30 pm news and do some reading. It's a habit of a life time - go to bed with a book.

God is great, God is good, God is gracious. We firmly believe if we seek first the Kingdom of God, all other things fall in the right place. Life is indeed great. Yes, make sure you have your time with the Lord.